Man City ready to make shock bids for Cesc Fabregas and Luka Modric
Star man: Luka Modric has matured into one of the finest midfielders in the Premier League
MANCHESTER CITY are ready to unleash a concerted Abu Dhabi-backed effort to land Roberto Mancini’s top summer target Cesc Fabregas.
They will offer a staggering £58million for the Arsenal star – valued at £60m by Arsene Wenger.
That demolishes the British record £50m transfer fee Chelsea paid for Fernando Torres in January.
And it could be just the start, with Mancini also looking at Tottenham midfield maestro Luka Modric – who is on Sir Alex Ferguson’s wishlist at Old Trafford.
Seeing City poach Modric would be galling enough, but the noisy neighbours also want to hijack Manchester United’s moves for England and Aston Villa star Ashley Young, and Dutch wizard Wesley Sneijder.
People Sport exclusively revealed in March that Mancini would push for more big signings this summer.
The ambitious Italian is determined to press the Middle Eastlands moneymen for the A-list players he believes will continue City’s development into a team capable of winning the big prizes.
City chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak confirmed last week that the club will pursue “quality not quantity” as Mancini fine-tunes a squad for the demands of Champions League and Premier League combat.
Targets
And that means Fabregas and £40m-rated Modric – and Inter Milan’s £35m Sneijder – are all viable targets.
Mancini accepts City need a technically supreme central midfield star to call the shots and dictate the pattern of play.
He no longer sees England star Gareth Barry as the man to run City’s midfield in the big games, and the former Villa star looks set to assume a lesser role next season.
Fabregas is Mancini’s first choice, with the 24-year-old star disillusioned with life as an Arsenal also-ran.
Barcelona is the preferred destination for the Spanish World Cup winner, but the Catalan giants already have two of the best midfielders in the world in Xavi and Andres Iniesta.
United boss Ferguson has promised one stellar signing this summer and he would break the bank to sign Fabregas if he could, with Paul Scholes heading for retirement.
But City have the financial power to out-muscle the 19-time league champions – and now they can offer Champions League football, too.
Wenger has tried to out-price suitors with a £60m price tag, but that’s peanuts to City owner Sheikh Mansour.
It is City’s sudden interest in Villa winger Young that will cause most consternation at Old Trafford.
Talks between the player and United are thought to be so advanced that contracts are already being drawn up.
But that has not put off City, who met with Young’s representatives last week in an attempt to change the 25-year-old’s mind. United remain favourites to land the England international, who is said by friends to have set his heart on a move to the Premier League champions after being told he will become Ryan Giggs’ long-term successor on the left wing.
City know that in capturing Young they would not only add a major talent to their squad but also achieve the double whammy of denying United his services.
The tactic of weakening other sides by signing their best players was introduced by Mark Hughes during his reign at Eastlands, and is a policy the club will clearly maintain.
The fact City believe they can tempt Young to choose them is also further proof of the lofty ambitions within the corridors of power at the club.
United, however, will believe that winning this battle will be a reminder to City, particularly timely given last weekend’s FA Cup victory for the Blue Moonies, that they are still top dogs in Manchester and, indeed, the Premier League.
Mancini has been a fan of Croatian Modric since he arrived in this country.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is notoriously hard-nosed in transfer dealings, but with the club no longer involved in Champions League football next season, Modric could push to leave.
Intruigingly, City director of football Brian Marwood was also seen engaging Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year Scott Parker at his award presentation in London recently, although Spurs seem favourites to grab the West Ham man for £9m.
Everton left-back Leighton Baines and Udinese’s £26m Chilean attacker Alexis Sanchez also look to be on their way to Eastlands.
And if Carlos Tevez heads for Italy or Spain this summer then Mancini will need another striker to back up Edin Dzeko and youngster Mario Balotelli.
They have made a £22m bid for Valencia’s Spain international wideman Juan Mata, as Hotline revealed last week, as they try to land a left-sided player.
Roberto Mancini is also in talks with Ajax defender Jan Vertonghen about a move to Eastlands. The Belgian plays in central defence for his country alongside City’s Vincent Kompany.
Leaving
Farmed-out stars Craig Bellamy and Emmanuel Adebayor – on loan at Cardiff and Real Madrid respectively – are due back at City next week, but Mancini is not keen on either forward coming back permanently after spats with both players.
They will join left-back Wayne Bridge, due back from his loan at West Ham, and back-up keeper Shay Given as a quartet leaving Eastlands once the season is over.
It all adds up to a busy summer for jaded boss Mancini, who is going back to Italy for a break to recharge his batteries after a hectic year.